MLB: Cubs clip Reds 4-3 at Wrigley Field on Labor Day

The Chicago Cubs extended their 7-game win steak with a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, Sept. 6 at Wrigley Field. Ian Happ put the Cubs up early, connecting on a 3-run homer off Sonny Gray in the first inning. After five shutout innings, Justin Steele broke down in the sixth frame, hitting Asdrúbal Cabrera with the bases loaded before allowing Nick Castellanos to score on a wild pitch. Cincinnati tied the game 3-3 after Steele was replaced. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Frank Schwindel singled to right field which brought Alfonso Rivas home to score. That would prove to be the game-winning run as Adam Morgan closed out the Reds in the ninth inning. Chicago's pitching rotation allowed just six hits in the victory, as Scott Effross picked up his second win of the season after 2.0 inning pitched on Monday afternoon.

Anthony Rizzo getting dealt to the New York Yankees in late July opened up an opportunity for Schwindel to start at first base. He has seen a ton of success since, posting a .374 batting average with 31 runs batted in and 10 home runs in 34 games. Schwindel was named NL Player of the Week yesterday after hitting five home runs on a .462 batting average last week. Aristides Aquino and Castellanos led the way for Cincinnati, while Gray recovered after a rough opening inning to finish with 5.0 innings pitched and eight strikeouts. Willson Contreras and Jayson Heyward also picked up hits for Chicago. It was a great atmosphere at Wrigley Field as the Cubs earned their seventh straight win in front of 27,289 fans on Labor Day. The Reds, who are one game back in the NL Wild Card race, will look to stop Chicago's streak tomorrow night.

Photo Credit: MSN.